Hello again, readers! Blue Jeans Samurai is coming along fairly well, but this latest chapter has me a bit engrossed as of late. As such, this month, I have offered another review column for your reading pleasure. I realize that my music preferences may not be everyone's cup of tea, but as a fan, I felt compelled to do this piece. I've saved it for a little too long, so certain details have had to be edited consistently, but I still hope you enjoy it. Thanks again for reading!
MICHAEL JACKSON'S
“XSCAPE”: A COMPARISON OF OLD VS. NEW
Greetings, readers! For this month's
article, I have once again pooled all of my efforts and abilities
into music, a great passion of mine. Specifically for this article,
I will take a look at my all-time favorite music artist: the late,
great King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Six months after the release of
his second posthumous album, Xscape, I have had more than
enough time to take an in-depth analysis of the album, highlighting
its assets and pointing out its flaws (if any). This analysis will
cover the deluxe edition of the album, meaning that not only will I
be rating the album, song by song, but I will also be comparing the
album releases of each track with the original rough cuts of each
track, and stating which I prefer. The ability to share these
thoughts with you, my readers, is a privilege, and I want to thank
you in advance for joining me.
As we all know, Michael Jackson made
monumental history as one of the greatest musicians who ever lived
(I'm more than ready to believe the
greatest). His was a career that included the best-selling studio
album of all time (Thriller,
1982), the best-selling new jack swing album of all time (Dangerous,
1991), the best-selling multiple disc album of all time (HIStory,
1995), and one of the only two albums in music history to spawn not
one, not two, but five
number-one singles (Bad,
1987). As well as thirteen number-one singles, the record for most
Grammy award wins (and nominations) by a single artist in one night,
and the longest and most expensive music videos ever made (Thriller,
Scream, Ghosts), the life of the
Kig of Pop was nothing short of phenomenal. Michael's passing was a
shock to the world; crowds gathered in the streets and played his
music to honor him, TV news anchors choked up on camera while
relaying the news, and social media websites became so heavily laden
with traffic that many had to temporarily shut down. I myself cried
for days after his death; to me, he was not just an artist, but an
inspiration. His drive and dedication are what kept him going, even
during a time when the whole world thought of him as a monster. It
is for these reasons and others that I have the utmost admiration for
Michael, even five years after his death.
The
first attempt by Michael's estate to offer his unheard music to the
world resulted in the 2010 posthumous album, Michael.
Sadly, it failed to live up to the King of Pop's grand expectations,
and managed to stir up controversy even after his death. Three of
the album's songs (including the now-infamous “Breaking News”)
have been under scrutiny, and it is disputed as to whether or not
Michael's true vocals are on these songs at all. While I enjoyed the
album, I believed, in retrospect, that more of an effort could have
been made to better present Michael's work. Four years later, my
wish was granted with the release of Xscape.
The
album features eight tracks of previously unreleased music, including
the full version of a snippet leaked six months after MJ's death, “A
Place with No Name” (more on that later). Because this article
aims to examine the deluxe version of the album, I will not only go
through each track and analyze them, but I will also compare each
album cut to its untouched rough cut included on the deluxe edition.
Also, in the interest of organization, I will be skipping the first
track on the album and saving it for the end of the article. So,
without further ado: all 17 tracks of Michael Jackson's Xscape,
the deluxe edition.
The
first analysis goes to “Chicago”, one of the few songs on the
album I'd never heard of before the album's release. It is also one
of two songs on the album not written at least partially by Michael
himself. “Chicago”, like many of Michael's songs, tells a story,
this one of a secret love affair between the narrator and a
mysterious, manipulative woman, “on the way to Chicago”.
Michael's voice switches from a low, soulful pitch during each verse
to a high and powerful, yet forlorn pitch in the chorus, a testament
to the dichotomy of heartbreak: anger and sadness. In the original,
the R&B/soul sound is a slow, steady crawl, with Michael's voice
and a sad strings background evoking feelings of shame and regret.
The album version's tempo is slightly faster, with modern R&B
synth sounds and drumbeats giving the impression of warning rather
than lament; a sort of 'don't do what I did' message. The emotion in
Michael's voice, which became a centerpiece in his musical style in
his living years, is overwhelming in both versions, and propels the
respective emotion of each in its own intended way.
As to which one I
prefer: it's a very difficult decision. The original evokes the
proper emotions in relation to illicit love, but the slightly faster
pace and more pronounced drums of the album version creates movement
in the body. To choose between the head-bobbing and foot-tapping of
the album version and the slow emotion of the original is tricky,
like having to choose between body and heart. With that said, I
think I prefer the original, but only slightly more. I will still
dance to the album version when it comes on.
CHICAGO –
original version
Track
3 is another song I'd not heard of beforehand: “Loving You”. I
think, if I had to pick a favorite song on this album, this would be
it; it belongs in the same vein as Michael's classic love songs, like
“Baby Be Mine”, “P.Y.T.”, and “The Girl is Mine”. In
fact, the original cut brings to mind the classic Thriller
style—which comes as a surprise that the song was written and
recorded for the Bad
album. In both versions, Michael's bouncy, carefree vocals put a
smile on one's face, and the sweet, heartwarming lyrics are a love
letter to all the most wonderful women in the world.
For me, there's no
contest which version I prefer: the original. The album version is
nice, but unlike “Chicago”, where the heavy R&B drumbeat
aided the album, it seems to hinder it on “Loving You”. The
piano hook helps on the album version, but doesn't makes up for it
entirely. The original, as I've said, sounds more sweet and
carefree, and reminds one of a time in which Michael Jackson held the
world in his hand—and made it melt with his charming voice.
Unfortunately, modernizing this gorgeous piece holds little sway over
me; I'll take the original anytime.
LOVING YOU –
original version
The unreleased song
that leaked almost immediately after Michael's death was called “A
Place with No Name”, and caused quite a stir among fans. The full
song (made a single only three months ago) tells the story of a lone
traveler, stranded on a deserted highway, who is found by a
mysterious woman and taken to paradise. For one thing, the song
heavily sampled “A Horse with No Name” by America (so much so
that band member Dewey Bunnell is credited as co-writer of the song),
right down to the folksy 1970s style acoustic guitar and the
memorable chant toward its end (“na, na, na-na-na, na”). What
sets it apart is a heavy, almost rock-style drumbeat that leads to a
deep, resonating chorus, something I'm sure fans of both Michael and
America can appreciate.
The album version
differs startlingly from the original—heavily laden with
synthesizers and completely devoid of America's signature acoustic
guitar, it hardly resembles the America classic at all. That, I
believe, is why I favor it over the original; while I greatly enjoyed
the original, it wasn't truly “original”, in a way. Michael's
tribute to the folk band is commendable (Bunnell himself, as well as
co-founder Gerry Beckley, agree wholeheartedly), but the album
version strives to deliver a sound that one expects on a Michael
Jackson album. In other words, the album version is less of a homage
to America and more of a homage to Michael's memory. Nothing
personal to Messrs. Beckley and Bunnell, but I enjoyed the album
version better; if I'm ever on a guitar kick, though, the original
will do just fine.
A PLACE WITH NO
NAME – album version
“Slave to the
Rhythm” was leaked several years ago; a remix that almost ended up
on the Michael album circulated on the Internet for some time.
Like “Chicago”, “Slave to the Rhythm” was not written by
Michael, but is still done amazingly well. The song profiles an
overworked woman and her never-ending duties to her husband, family
and job. The lyrics cleverly use “dancing” as a metaphor for the
work she does for others, emphasizing her difficult life as a “slave
to the rhythm”. Both versions feature a slow start, but whereas
the original version is soft and subdued, the album version has a
harsh, unforgiving pace to it, as if it spurs the woman to keep
offering herself to the men in her life and receive nothing in
return.
Having heard the
leaked remix many times before, hearing the original was, to me,
something of a disappointment. I realize that it's not entirely fair
to blame the song itself, but the slow, subdued pace of the original
does not appeal to me as much as the fast, heavy-hitting edge of the
album version. Even the subdued sound of the remixed version I was
used to still had a quick groove that kept one's attention. In the
case of “Slave to the Rhythm”, I'm afraid the album version is
better. I will say this for the original, though; it, and every
aforementioned version, is infinitely better than when Justin Bieber
got a hold of it. Ugh . . .
SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM
– album version
Another song I was
unfamiliar with before the fact is “Do You Know Where Your Children
Are”. Taking its title from the familiar question asked in public
service announcements since the 1960s, it tells the story of a
twelve-year-old runaway, tired of abuse from her stepfather, who
turns to a life of prostitution in Hollywood—the cause of her
arrest. All the while, Michael almost commands an answer to the
dreaded question: “do you know where your children are?” His
voice is desperate and vicious, almost shaming those he's singing to
for not paying enough attention to their children.
The
original features a harsh drumbeat and blistering guitar riffs that
are almost a staple of the eighties; it would not be a stretch to
imagine that this song was meant to be included on the Bad
album (it was actually recorded for Dangerous).
The album version's synth beat is scarily repetitive and carries the
same degradation of people who force their children to live a life on
the streets. Choosing a preferred version is almost impossible for
me; the synth beat of the album version gives off a sense of urgency,
as if the search is on right now
for the twelve-year-old girl, while the original's chorus line has a
chilling, haunting sense of repetition that is difficult to forget.
That, and the decision between the rock/R&B style of the eighties
and the R&B/funk style of today, is what makes it almost
impossible to choose. In that respect, I really can't say that I
prefer one over the other; I'll easily listen to both.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE
YOUR CHILDREN ARE – both versions
“Blue Gangsta”
was promised to us, along with “A Place with No Name”, by
co-writer Dr. Freeze after the latter was leaked. Michael's tendency
to cover betrayal and heartbreak in his music continues in this
piece, but unlike many songs that do this, Michael's vocals on this
song seem to emote in three different ways instead of two. The
beginning half of each verse starts dangerously low, as if Michael is
attempting to cover his misery with the fury he builds up to, and
finally blares out, in the second half of each. Once at the bridge,
Michael's sadness overtakes him and leads to to a set of sexy
falsetto vocalizations. Again, it seems to cover one emotion with
another, but with a twist—the heartbreak seems to be the mask for a
wild animal of emotion that blends mad, sad, and glad all into one.
If there were no other reason (and there are many), the song is worth
listening to for the bridge alone.
As for which I
prefer, I have to settle on the original. As one of many songs on
the album produced by Timbaland, the album version shares the
distinct sound of heavy, modern R&B drums. While it works well,
the feel of the song is better with the smooth early-to-mid-2000s
pop/soul sound that was prevalent on 2001's Invincible. The
picture of a heartbroken gangster recounting his betrayal just seems
better matched with the original cut and its place in time rather
than the album's style of today; the title of the song itself makes
one think back to another gangster-related tune, Michael's 1987
single from Bad, “Smooth Criminal”. Additionally, the
vocalizations in the bridge aren't nearly as strong in the album
version as in the original cut. In short, “Blue Gangsta” is
another song that, for me, the original is better.
BLUE GANGSTA –
original version
The last track is
also the title track of the album: “Xscape”. This song continues
other long-recurring themes in Michael's career—paranoia,
resentment, and distrust in others. Like “Blue Gangsta” each
verse is split between quiet anger and loud anger, but unlike the
song before it, “Xscape” does not compromise. The lyrics are as
angry and indignant as Michael's voice, and the longing for the
escape he feels he deserves is not a pleasant or heartfelt longing,
but a bitter one.
As with “Do You
Know Where Your Children Are”, “Xscape” is a split-decision for
me in which version I like best. The original is the version I'm
used to, naturally, and has a mechanical, almost techno sound to it
that conveys a feeling of isolation and entrapment, from which the
singer must escape. The album version, however, conveys the same
feelings, only through thoroughly subtle synth beats, a laconic
string section that gives off the feeling of being stalked, and a
boisterous horn section that punctuates Michael's frustrated chorus.
The former is calmer and somehow sinister, but the latter has more
energy and potency, and choosing one is difficult. All in all,
choosing both versions of the title track as my preference symbolizes
my firm opinion of the greatness of both versions of this album, and
how well its producers did justice to Michael's memory.
XSCAPE – both
versions
Finally, I will
review the first, ninth, and seventeenth tracks on the album, all
sharing the same title: “Love Never Felt So Good”. Co-written by
Michael and legendary singer Paul Anka, one of Xscape's two
singles is another callback to the days of Michael's adoration of
sweet, innocent love songs. No song could be as much so as “Love
Never Felt So Good”; Michael's fluttering vocals convey a purity of
heart and the ecstasy of true love. No matter which version you
hear, it warms the heart and calms the soul, as only Michael could.
The original
version is very simplistic, with only Michael's dulcet tones
complimented with a soft piano background. The album version
combines elements of pop, funk and soul to make a mellifluous final
product, reminiscent of Michael's greatest hits. In a way, the
original version, as simple as it is, was a blank canvas for the
producers of the album, and they painted it with a vivid blend of
colors to create a masterpiece. I sincerely believe Michael would
have been proud.
The third version,
and final track of the album, is another retooled production of the
song, this one featuring the vocals of pop star Justin Timberlake.
This version is almost as well made as the album version, and
Timberlake's impressive vocals are a testament to how much respect he
had for Michael, and how far he himself has come since his days with
90s pop group N*SYNC. With a subdued, groovy bridge giving the song
a sweet interlude in the middle of great vocal teamwork that connects
across time, Timberlake's version of “Love Never Felt So Good”
ensures that Michael's memory and legacy are in good hands.
As for my
preference, it's difficult to choose, but I must go with the album
version. As much as I enjoy the simplistic sweetness of the original
and Justin Timberlake's impressive work on the remixed version, the
album version seems to show that the most effort was poured into it,
to produce a wonderful single that reignited the passion and love
that Michael's fans felt, and still feel, for him and his music.
Timberlake's version showed his determination to do justice to
Michael's work, and the original is the perfect track for the
lovestruck. For these reasons, each version of this song holds up
well, but my personal preference lies in the combination of Michael's
heart and soul in life and his estate's contribution of the same
after his death.
LOVE NEVER FELT SO
GOOD – album version
Thank you for
joining me on this retrospective. As much controversy as there is
around the release of music without the artist's consent, I feel
privileged to see and hear Michael's music handled with such great
care. Whether his music makes you smile or his past makes you sad
(or distressed), there is no doubt that, past or present, original or
retouched, Michael Jackson's music was monumental, his career
unmatched, and his brilliant work well-preserved. As much as it
grieves me to remember that Michael is no longer with us, I, as a
fan, will still be loyal to Michael Jackson's memory, and greatly
look forward to another album of great music by the late King of Pop.
Thank you for your
time, and for your eyes.
-- J. A. G.
